STV broadens reach with UK-wide Virgin Media deal

Glasgow-based broadcaster STV has agreed a deal with Virgin Media enabling its TV customers across the UK to watch its STV Player video on demand service this summer.

Anna Gunn and David Tennant in Gracepoint, a new addition to the STV Player. Picture: Ed Araquel/Fox.

The Scottish firm said the new deal “considerably” extends the reach of the STV Player, ensuring its content can now be accessed throughout the UK. It comes after the STV Player app and catch-up service was integrated into Virgin Media’s Set Top Box (STB) for viewers in Scotland in December 2018.

STV said the partnership is a key part of its strategy to significantly increase the market for its rapidly growing digital streaming platform. It flagged the acceleration of its digital growth, with revenues up 60 per cent over the past two years and digital viewing on the player already up by 70 per cent this year.

Virgin Media is the third connected TV platform on which the player is automatically installed outside Scotland. Due to licensing agreements, STV can only broadcast its Channel 3 Network schedule in its broadcast regions in Scotland.

However, over the last 18 months STV has been building up a catalogue of UK-wide licensed content on the STV Player and this, alongside a range of the broadcaster’s own productions, is now available across the rest of the UK on Virgin, YouView and Freesat – with more platforms to follow.

This summer, Virgin Media viewers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to access more than 1,500 hours of content from STV, including drama series, true crime, children’s programming and more than 50 box sets, for free. This STV Player-exclusive content now constitutes 25 per cent of streams.

Richard Williams, STV’s digital MD, said: “We see significant scope for future digital growth from both our core audience and new audiences, and partnerships such as these are key to delivering such progress.”

David Bouchier, chief digital entertainment officer at Virgin Media, said: “STV has a diverse range of programming so it’s great news that all of our customers across the UK can now access its content.”

Upon launch, the STV Player app will be available on compatible Virgin Media STBs, as well as YouView and Freesat boxes. It is also available UK-wide via download from app stores. STV Player is available in Scotland on Sky.

STV also noted that it has secured a range of new content partnerships including Endemol Shine International, TCB Media Rights, TVF Media, Hopster, Flame, and Jukin’.

The STV Player/Virgin tie-up news follows comments made last month by analyst Roddy Davidson at Shore Capital, who said STV was well-placed to benefit when market conditions improve, adding that the STV Player had been achieving record audiences.

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